Published: February 22, 2009 8:51 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight March 2009 Edition
Tyrone Smith Jr.
Tyrone Smith Jr.
Tyrone Smith Jr. is a mastermind instrumentalist who has a firm grasp on Jazz music. He commands respect when he is performing and his love for making music is clearly shown through his music. In this recent interview with our Webzine, I spoke to Tyrone about his influences, music, and devotion. Here is what developed.
Isaac: Hi Tyrone. Welcome to your interview with Junior's Cave. Now that 2008 has officially ended, what are your reflections of the year 2008 for Tyrone Smith Jr.?
Ty: Not gonna lie to you, it's really hard for me to even remember 2008 right now. So many amazing things have occurred in my life in this present year that summarizing 08 seems rather impossible. I spent most of 2008 testing myself for the future, I was unsure about what I wanted to do next both personally and professionally. I have spent most of my professional career insistent that I would never be an artist, but rather be a side man as I have done the majority of my journey as a musician, but, obviously, ALOT has changed. So my best reflection of 2008 is my progress in steering my future to be able to use the platform as an artist to fulfill my true passion, which is to have a positive effect on as many people as I can possibly reach and 2008 taught me that my music was the best right of passage to achieve this.
Isaac: What has drawn you to wanting to make music?
Ty: What drew me to want to make music...Isaac, Here's the deal. It's All I Know. I don't think it would be fair to say I was drawn to want to make music (haha). I mean, I have been absolutely surrounded by creative acts and involvement by way of music my entire life. As it's often publicized, I am the son of two very musically involved parents, if it wasn't the constant exposure to my mother's involvement in singing groups and church choirs, or my father's constant appearances as a musician then I would still have been influenced into music by a lady most dear to me, my Grandmother, who made music appeal to me as a path to be taken to a boundary-less future.
Isaac: Elaborate a little about whom were your biggest influences in the music industry and why?
Ty: I am often asked about Who my influences, but Isaac you are one of the first to actually inquire WHY they are and I love ya for it (haha). I have four Major influences that I credit. They are Cannonball, Bobby Mcferrin, Herbie Hancock, and Gerald Albright. Cannonball, with no offense to other legends, was the first Cat to make me feel the soul in jazz. He didn't strike me as an academic or theoretically insistent player, til this day when I hear his recordings I just hear his soul singing out through his horn; just thinking about it now makes me shake my head in awe.
I met Bobby Mcferrin at the Morton Meyerson Sympathy Center in Dallas, although I had heard his music before that day. I challenged him to sing "Thinkin' About Your Body" for me on the spot because I had some doubts about it being humanly possible that a person could sing/drum all those parts at the same time (haha). And low and behold, he did it with ease. I was absolutely shocked and baffled and though I wasn't a singer I minimalistically knew the amount of musicianship that displayed and couldn't believe it.
After that, I went and purchased "Play" which is a live album he did with amazing pianist Chick Corea and memorized the entire thing, til this day I can sing every line, solo, breathe from both of them on that album. In my following of Bobby and Herbie was this phrase that I use often "universal applicable." Bobby's music ranges from singing "Round Midnight" to "Don't Worry Be Happy"; and Herbie's discography takes him from straight ahead jazz to funk "Thrust" album pure genius, to latest Jon Rivers stuff. These guys help me take away the pressures of genres. For awhile, I stressed over should I be a jazz musician, a classical musician, a gospel musician etc... They taught me that you don't have to choose and it can all be done in greatness. Lastly, Gerald Albright, who just an amazing player, whose style and musicianship continues to influence me everyday.
Isaac: Let's talk about what you feel Tyrone Smith Jr. will bring to the music industry?
Ty: Remember that phrase I coined, "Universally Applicable"? That's the Tyrone Smith brand in a nutshell. I am a multi-instrumentalist whose intense music studies throughout life but more specifically at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music from a theoretical, stylistic and historical standpoint reinforce my confidence that I can not only execute music of all styles but added with my boundary-less viewpoint, positive standpoint, unique style and passion to reach the masses can make any music that I choose to make visible and obtainable to all people. Marketing experts encourage me to target and be aware of a demographic, an aspect of the business I respect & apply, but at the same time don't believe applies to me.
Isaac: If you had an opportunity to work with one artist or group, who would it be and why?
Ty: That a hard question. But if I had to choose, it would be either Prince or Herbie Hancock and Why you ask? (haha); Well, but of course my coined and pending trademarked phrase is (haha) they represent what I believe in most and that is they are "Universally Applicable" not to mention absolutely amazing artist whose every note of their music in my opinion is Greatness..
Isaac: How would you describe your music to others?
Ty: Honestly I am not a big fan of over talking music. It's MUSIC. I would describe it as Consistently Good.
Isaac: What type of feedback have you received from your previous releases?
Ty: Well, I believe the fans support for the music shows a positive connotation towards the music but as far as feedback, my music was reviewed by SmoothJazz.com (a worthy source of opinion I'd say ;) .
Isaac: What can fans expect from your latest CD, you are working on currently? What is the inspiration behind the CD?
Ty: Once again, without speaking to music about music, I would say they can expect be to be as honest and true to the music as I can be and that it will be slapped with the brand of Tyrone Smith which is a guarantee of quality and groovin music. :)
Isaac: What can fans expect from Tyrone Smith Jr. in 2009?
Ty: Well, it's already been a very eventful year with the release of 3 singles, one of which is a collaboration with Grammy nominated singer Jeni Fujita called "New Day Ashe'" and a yet to be released song apart of this Collab is "Empty Promises". Fans can expect more of the same from me, which is me working hard to continue to positively progress through life while at the same time encouraging they do the same in their life's while Groovin to Tyrone Smith's consistent flow of good music and vibes.
Isaac: Time for some shout outs to your family, friends, and fans?
Ty: O the set up, (haha) there's no way I am going to start naming specific friends cause it's impossible to get to everyone, but I am extremely grateful for my friends because I don't reside near much family and they have become my family. That said just because I am not geographically close to my family doesn't mean I have forgotten them. I spoke of my mother Marilyn earlier in this interview who I love and appreciate dearly, but I will take a second to thank someone specifically and that is Dewayne Jackson, step dad, he is greatly responsible for who I am as a person and most definitely the reason I process things as logically as I do stripping me of the possibilities of some of the musician stereotypes (haha).
Most of all, I of course am deeply grateful for my fans. The amount of support and pro-activity that you guys display is irreplaceable, not only do you buy/listen to the music, but there's no way I could see the growth I have in fan base if you guys weren't doubling as a street team, spreading the word about Tyrone Smith to your friends, family, co-workers, or even random strangers jamming to your music as you are at a stop light with your window down (haha).
Thank you guys so much for all the support of the music as well as the constant flow of messages and comments via email or social networks, I read and reply to each and everyone of your personally and though it takes a lot out of me it is ABSOLUTELY worth every second of my time.
Isaac: Final words from Tyrone Smith Jr. ?
Ty: I consider my ability and position to effect others out there in the world a very serious and special opportunity. In my latest single, "I Believe", I push and support the idea of positivity while striving for a boundary-less future and encourage brotherhood amongst us all; if there is nothing else transpired about me as a person or in music; it's most important for it to be known that I believe in these concepts for myself and everyone else out there. Sincerely hope this idealism spreads to everyone including you, Issac :)
That said, I lastly would say that I appreciate you as well as Juniors Cave Magazine for this interview.
And Many Thanks to All those who take the time to read and learn a lil more about Tyrone Smith and his Music
